BACKGROUND: Hemangioma is a benign vascular proliferation. Intramuscular hemangiomas are rare, accounting for less than 1% of all hemangiomas, and occur normally in the trunk and extremities. Approximately 10–20% of intramuscular hemangiomas are found in the head and neck region, most often in the masseter muscles. The typical clinical characteristic is a painful soft tissue mass without cutaneous changes. Currently, MRI is the standard imaging technique for diagnosing soft-tissue hemangioma. The optimal management is the surgical resection.

CASE REPORT: We report a case of 34-year-old male patient consulted for a swelling of 1 year evolution, around the parotid region. On physical examination, a soft, well-contoured lesion of about 2 cm on its long axis was found. MRI showed a space-occupying lesion in the left masseter muscle, with intermediate signal intensity on T1-weighted images and hyperignal intensity on T2-weighted images, containing nodular hypointense foci corresponding to calcification. The presumptive diagnosis of an intramasseteric hemangioma with phlebolith was made based on these findings. The patient was informed about her condition, and treatment options were discussed; however, the patient elected to forgo treatment at that time.

CONCLUSIONS: The possibility of an IMH should be included in the differential diagnosis of any intra-masseteric lesion. The appropriate radiologic examinations especially MRI can enhance accurate preoperative diagnosis; the treatment of choice should be individualized in view of the clinical status of the patient.

Keywords: Diagnosis, Differential, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Masseter Muscle - radiography, Muscle Neoplasms - diagnosis, Tomography, X-Ray Computed